Another graffiti photo. Wonder about the implications of having multiple posts with the same title. Maybe I should number them, like Xavier? BTW, Xavier will be at the Uptown Art Festival this year again. Stop by at his booth if you happen to be there.

This shot was taken underneath a bridge across the Mississippi. That whole area was fairly tricky to walk around on, mini valleys and canyons, unstable soil. That’s one of the reasons I like to wear solid leather boats on photo shoots like this. They protect your feet and ankles, and give good ankle support. Unfortunately that doesn’t work during summer. Leather boots and shorts, now that would be a sight.

While I was taking photos, I heard this odd rumble behind me. Turned around a watched a section of the hill about the size of a refrigerator break loose and tumble down. Glad I wasn’t standing there :)

Our photo meetup on Saturday as usual was a ton of fun. Met a couple of new people, Alison, and Dan J. It was pretty toasty out there, around 90, but at least the humidity was down. We ended up at the Guthrie Theater, where a couple of nice cold Blue Moon beers really hit the spot. This photo looks out of a mirror lined window from the top floor at the Guthrie Theater, capturing St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.

Went down to the Mississippi near the Lake Street bridge looking for graffiti, but couldn’t find anything. A treacherous hike down the embankment, using tree roots and my tripod as stabilizers on the way down. Set up to get some shots of the Mississippi with the Lake Street bridge in the background. Along comes this cruiser just in time to add to the setting. Every now and then one gets lucky.

I intended to go out and get some shots of a particular flowering tree, but it was so windy today that would have been an exercise in futility. So instead I took a drive in the Northeast Art District. There was quite a bit of activity around the few bars in the area, some festival going on, so I took some side streets to avoid the traffic jams. Spotted this railroad bridge across Mississippi and intended to get some shots of the bridge, but instead found it’s base decorated with graffiti.

I’m surprised at the letter reversal to disguise the swear phrase. But then they did something similar on Battlestar Galactica. Apparently it’s acceptable on TV to disguise swear phrases by substituting a couple of letters, so I guess we could consider the graffiti swearing socially acceptable.

Along the banks of the Mississippi, the old Pillsbury Mill and the power lines from the NSP river power plant both reach for the sky.

Lock and Dam #1, the first in a series spanning the upper Mississippi. Also known as the Ford Dam around this area, as the power plant across the river used to be owned by Ford Motor Company, which has a plant up above. The plant manufacturers the Ford Ranger series of trucks. Unfortunately it is on the short list of plants Ford has been planning to close.

Just a few days ago the body of a college student was recovered here. He had disappeared about a month ago walking home late at night after a party in the area, last heard on his cell phone exclaiming ‘I’m slipping…’. The search had been going on ever since. The Mississippi sure has taken it’s share of lives this winter.

For other Monochrome Monday photos check here.

Back after nearly a week of absence. Was insanely busy at work doing marketing support. Needs to be done, because those are our future jobs, but it sure can wear one out when it all comes piling in at once, not to mention that mistakes now can be very costly later on. I’m ready to get back to doing some actual engineering any time.

Put a couple of the bike spurs on the truck today, and went for my first bike ride of the season. I normally bike around the lakes (Lake of the Isles, Calhoun, and sometimes Harriet), the views are so nice. Today though I went off the normal trails, and instead went exploring around the University of Minnesota. I ended up in areas I’d never seen before, biking along some rail road tracks and some areas down by the Mississippi. Pretty rough going in some spots, but my bike can handle it.

This tender growth was found at the West River Road along the Mississippi. Will have to go back there for some evening shots, once its warmer that is.

It’s finally warm enough, relatively speaking, where you can take a walk in the evening without getting a serious chill. This photo shows the Mill City area framed by the 3rd Avenue Bridge across the Mississippi. At first I thought ‘oh shoot’ about the lights on the bridge, but after staring at them for a few seconds I decided the like the effect.

Finally, something that gives a goose at least some hesitation.